Chandigarh, March 31 (IANS) The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday gave nod for hiking the compensation due to unseasonal rains by 25 per cent per acre.
A decision to this effect was taken by the Council of Ministers at its meeting held here.
A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said keeping in view the loss incurred by the farmers due to rains, the Cabinet decided to enhance the relief amount from Rs 12,000 per acre to Rs 15,000 per acre for 76-100 per cent for loss of crops.
This measure will give a healing touch to the affected farmers who will be able to get a reasonable financial relief from the government. These relief rates will be applicable from March 1.
Keeping in view the larger public interest, the Cabinet also gave its consent to extend the exemption of 2.25 per cent stamp duty and fees to those registering their property or land by April 30.
Those opting for registration of land will now be exempted from one per cent additional stamp duty, one per cent PIDB fees and 0.25 per cent special fees.
It also gave approval for hiring 2,574 Kisan Mitras and 108 field supervisors in the Agriculture Department.
These Kisan Mitras and field supervisors will encourage the farmers to get out of the rut of wheat and paddy circle and cultivate less water guzzling crops like cotton and basmati.
This step will act as a catalyst to save groundwater by boosting crop diversification programme on one hand and providing employment to the youth of the state on the other.
The deceased include four women. Seven others were rescued by fire service personnel. Hyderabad District Collector Amoy Kumar said the victims died of suffocation due to the smoke.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday summoned Devender Sharma, the personal assistant of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, for questioning in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy scam case. Sharma has been asked to appear before the ED on Saturday by 10 a.m.
In a video message on the occasion of completion of one year in office, Mann said the people of the state had given a thumping verdict in favour of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during the Assembly elections held last year.
North Goa Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan said that Panaji Town Police station and Sardarpura Police station (Rajasthan) personnel nabbed wanted criminal Pavan Solanki, a native of Mandor in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.
The Health Ministry has advised that state should examine the situation of Covid-19 at micro level (district & sub-districts) and maintain focus on implementation of necessary measures for prompt and effective management of Covid-19 duly ensuring effective compliance with various advisories issued by the Ministry.
As per the latest data, nearly 1.25 crore passengers were carried by the domestic airlines during January, 2023 in the country as against 64 lakh during the same period last year. The passenger load factor or occupancy of the airlines remained on the higher side in the range of 80 to 90 per cent.
